Emerald-Eyed Stranger
by LeeshyLoo
Summary: She waited for him. Waited so long for one, hopeless promise to be kept. Now, eight years later, how much longer can she wait for her emerald-eyed stranger?


**Emerald-Eyed Stranger**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Spirited Away. A girl can always dream though, can't she?**

**A/N: Edit: I've tweaked a few things, here and there.**

**Chapter 1**

The wind howls like a wolf under a full moon, echoing through the void of the plaster walls. A little girl clings tighter to her mother, her tiny fingers curling firmly around the older woman's forearm. The girl's father looks over to her; a warm, comforting smile present on his aging features. Continuously echoing throughout the pitch blackness were the tapping of their footsteps on the concrete floor, the sounds endlessly bouncing off of the tunnel wall.

"Chihiro, don't cling like that. You'll make me trip." Her mother scolds, although doesn't make a move to rid herself of the frightened child.

The little girl, Chihiro, both mentally and physically relaxes when she sees the blindingly beautiful light at the end of the tunnel. The trio exit the tunnel, and she momentarily shields her eyes from the sun's harsh rays, before a soft, relieved smile forms on her chubby features. Letting go of her mother's arm Chihiro wipes her sweaty palms on her pink shorts, before bouncing back over to her family's car.

~o~o~O~o~o~

Thinking about the distant memory brings a smile to grace my lips; though it's quickly replaced with a frown as I remember another childhood memory.

"Will we meet again sometime?" A ten year-old girl questions, sounding unsure of herself.

"I'm sure we will." The emerald-eyed boy in front of the girl replied with a soft smile, squeezing her tiny hand reassuringly.

"Promise?" She asked, taking another step down the stone staircase.

"Promise. Now go, and don't look back."

From the moment my hand slipped from his, I had not seen the emerald-eyed boy since.

Now, eight years later, I'm still waiting for that hopeless promise to be kept. My fingers run over the splintered surface of the park bench that I sit upon. A sigh escapes my lips, the warm air contrasting against the biting breeze of winter, creating what would seem to be a white cloud of fog in the air in front of me. The thin blanket of snow that litters the forest floor reminds me of a certain river spirit; his silvery scales glittering under the full moon, his soft emerald mane whipping in the wind behind him as he glides through the air. Although, the most enchanting feature about my river spirit, my _dragon, _are his eyes. Those unforgettable emerald orbs, with their piercing gaze leaving you wondering if they could see into your soul.

My tongue darts out to lick my cracked lips, tasting the vague saltiness of the dried up tears from earlier.

~o~o~O~o~o~

A harsh breeze squeezes through the doorframe as I close the door behind me, blocking the howling wind in its path. This house that I live in; the little blue house on the top of the hill, brings so many memories to resurface in my mind. Hidden deep within the forest below my little blue house, reveals a secret tunnel; a tunnel to the Spirit World. That is a tunnel that no mere mortal should ever discover, for if they do, they'll disappear into non-existence forever.

But now, as I make my way through the foyer of my little blue house, I smile, thinking about all the precious memories I've made with all my friends from the Spirit World. I can't help but be thankful for what that emerald-eyed boy has done for me. My parents had greedily eaten the food for the spirits, and turned into the pigs that they were acting like. I was only ten years old, I was afraid of the unknown; but nevertheless that kind boy selflessly helped me through it all, and eventually freed us from the steel binds of the Spirit World. Yet sometimes – sometimes I think that maybe my parents should have stayed pigs, that I shouldn't have passed the witch's test to go home.

Sometimes I think we should've stayed trapped in the Spirit World forever.

But nevertheless, that was the path that was not chosen, the road not taken.

~o~o~O~o~o~

I could have saved them. I could have prevented it all, the whole accident; everything. If only I'd known that they would have died in a car accident last year, then I could have prevented their deaths. I miss them dearly, but I've kept a smile on my face; a façade that I've worn for the past eight years to hide my pain from everyone else. The fragile wall that I'd built around my heart almost broke when the accident happened.

But, I had to be strong for them. I wasn't eighteen yet, so I had to keep a mask on my face and a secret from the world. Not wanting to be orphaned and alone, I buried my parents' remains in the backyard of our little blue house, where no one would discover my dirty little secret.

After the accident, I started to see… things. People; the ghosts of my parents lingering around the place of their death, and I started hallucinating. I'd have hallucinations that my river spirit had come back for me, that he'd come to keep his promise. Every time I'd see another hallucination of him, he'd disappear and I'd be left alone and heartbroken once more. But even after all that, I still kept smiling.

~o~o~O~o~o~

I look up from my pondering thoughts, only to find my emerald-eyed dragon boy staring right back at me, merely standing still in the living room. I gasp, not believing the sight before my eyes. His matured face is void of all emotion, and it leaves me wondering; how did he get in here? My eyes well up with tears, not caring how he got here or why; he's here to keep his promise, and that's all that matters.

"Haku…?" I croak out, unsure of myself. I'm about to wave him off as another one of my heartbreaking illusions, when his stoic face cracks a smile, his open arms awaiting my embrace. Choking out a sob, I hastily make my way towards my long-lost friend, reaching out to him with desperate arms. I can _see_ him, he's so close. I can almost _feel _his strong, warm arms wrapping around me in a comforting embrace. A heavy weight that I'd been carrying for eight years suddenly lifts off my shoulders, and I smile, feeling lighter than ever.

"Haku!" I grin, unable to hold back the warm tears of joy.

Then he disappears.

I gasp, stumbling over my feet and onto the hardwood flooring with a loud thud_._ Looking down at my clenched fists, I notice that my knuckles are starting to turn white from the strain; the strain of trying to hold myself together once again for the umpteenth time. I try to smile, watching the tears slowly drip onto the floor. My lip trembles, struggling to keep up my façade. This mask that I've been wearing for the past eight years of my life, finally crumbles down to its end. All because of one person; one promise that's kept me going for years, kept me living. One hopeless promise that's kept me smiling through all the pain I've been put through. The reason I'm still living is because of his promise; this mask that I wear lets me smile and lie through my teeth. After all, _I'm still waiting._

After eight long years, it finally breaks.

I stand, unable to hold back the painfully raw emotion on my face. Somehow, I feel numb. At least, on the outside I do. On the inside, I can feel my innards being ripped apart by my emotional trauma, and I must admit that I'm amazed I'm still standing after all these years. Though now with my defences fallen, and my knees buckling, what could I possibly do now?

_I'm still here._

Yes, that's right; I'm still here after all, waiting for a figment of my imagination to become reality. Another tear slips down my cheek, though I don't make a move to swipe it away. Maybe I should rid myself of the world now; I have no one to go to, no family or friends to take me in.

_Waiting for you._

My vision is clouded over with painful memories I've endured all these years; hallucinations of the emerald-eyed boy I once knew, now dissolved into nothing but the tearstains upon my cheeks. Of course, how could I forget? Even after all this time I still have _one _thing to hold onto; his promise. I don't need anything else.

So, with slow, mechanical movements, I make my way to the kitchen of my little blue house. I'm not really sure what I'm doing, but at this point I guess I'm too numb to care. In fact, my brain doesn't register what I'm doing until I finally realise that I'm standing outside. I notice the trail of clear liquid leading towards the kitchen, and that it's all over the stovetop and electrical appliances. I see the emptied bottle of methylated spirits on the floor, and then look down to see that I'm holding a matchbox in my shaking palm.

"Everything will be okay…" I tell myself. "After all, you still have Haku's promise to keep you alive."

~o~o~O~o~o~

Now with no home to go back to, I merely sit here on this lone park bench, still waiting for that hopeless promise to be kept. I hear the wind rustling amongst the trees standing tall on the edge of the forest. Maybe I am going insane; I did burn my own house down, after all. But if I think about it, I didn't really need anything from that little blue house anyway. I don't need any of my belongings or my sketches of the Spirit World; and I certainly don't need my parents. No, all I need in this world is Haku's promise.

_I'm still here, waiting for you._

I'm eighteen now, Haku; I look much different from when we first met on the bridge. My chestnut hair has grown longer, and I've grown out of my old clothes. The only things I can say that's stayed the same are my boring grey eyes. Your eyes are much more enticing compared to mine, with their unique emerald colour. I'm eighteen now, Haku, and I've changed a lot over the past eight years. Sometimes I wonder if you've grown a lot too, just like me. I guess what I'm trying to say is; I'm eighteen now, Haku, and I think I've fallen in love with you.

But even so, do you still remember me after all this time?

Could it really be called love? Obsession might be a better word for it. Yes, I've become obsessed with one little childhood promise, turning into the crazed woman that I am today. Maybe I should turn myself in to a mental hospital; I've probably lost my mind at this point in time. It's possible that I've always been a little crazy, and perhaps that one little promise merely awoke the insanity that had always lived inside me. But even I know that he's the cause of it all; one certain boy with emerald eyes and a cold heart to match his gaze. Perhaps he never intended to keep his promise at all. Insane laughter bubbles from my chest as I think such thoughts.

You've made me this way, Haku, and it's all because of one hopeless promise.

~o~o~O~o~o~

**A/N: So, what did you think? Personally, I feel this was written much better than my other story, Unkind Mankind. Anyways, I'm updating this chapter just to say that I will be writing a chapter 2! How exciting is that? Also, I wanted to thank the awesome peeps that reviewed!**

**Thanks to:**

**saminia. flores, NarutoSwag99, Heartz4Jesus, diety, FruitySmell and PeanutGallerySama!**

***This story might undergo some enhancing in the future***


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